guyanatimesgy.com
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MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014
he design for the new East Bank Berbice road is expected to be available next month. So says Design Engineer of the Public Works Ministry, Kelvin Clark. He was at the time speaking with <Berbice Times> at the end of a stakeholders’ consultation on the New East Bank Berbice Main Access Road, on Tuesday. Clark explained that the intention of the consultation was to get feedback from residents, noting that the feedback will be used as the basis for the design of the road. “It is the residents who have to supply us with information so that we can have it put into the road design,” he said. Several hundred persons flocked the Edinburgh Primary School where the meeting was held and expressed their concerns. Some suggested that the new road should be constructed so that it illuminates the four turns at Islington, Gay Park and Providence. “We need to get concrete drains and not mud drains from Islington to Glasgow,” one resident told officials from the Public Works Ministry. It is expected that the project will see the 23mile road from Islington to Mara being reconstructed, the first six miles of which residents say needs to be widened. According to some, the first seven miles is the most worrying part of the road. “The road from Sisters Village to Zorgenflect was built by Guyconstruct and has a good foundation.” One resident said. The Village of Zorgen Vlygt is situated 19 miles out of New Amsterdam. Residents who live beyond that stretch of road did not let the opportunity pass to make their contributions at the meeting. According to them, the last five miles of road leading into Mara has no foundation. “It is a dam,” one resident said. “There is need for a proper foundation
Issue No. 030
there. They tried to repair the road a few years ago, but after a week, everything washed away.” Another resident noted that during the rainy season, two tractors will join together to pull a trailer through that stretch of road. “When the dry weather come on you see the tractors fetching the houses out… because people just keep moving out from the place.” The poor condition of the upper East Bank road was touted as being the main contributory factor for the lack of development at Mara for the past two decades. Residents also made note of the amount of heavily laden trucks that use the road and called for the foundation to reflect that in the design. Meanwhile, a call was also made for the eroding river bank which is next to the current road to be addressed. Following Tuesday’s meeting, engineers will visit the road and then document concerns coming out of the public consultation. The design for the new East Bank Berbice road is expected to become available on or before July 21. “We are working under tight constraints because the President is adamant that he needs to get this project started this year.” Apart from the Design Engineer, Public Works Ministry Socio-environmental Expert Shannon Denny also represented the Ministry. A team of consultants from EXP Semcor, village representatives headed by Peter Allawie were also present. Clark said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. “The whole idea is to hear from stakeholders, hear what is on their minds and how passionate there are about the project and the turn out here is excellent. I have never seen anything like this at any one of the consultations that we have done so far.”
An East Bank Berbice resident gets his point over
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guyanatimesgy.com
MonDAY, june 30, 2014
Newly-appointed University of Guyana Berbice Campus Director, Dr Subramaniam Gomathinayagam
Some of the graduates of the Inclusion Professional Development Course along with facilitators
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wenty-four teachers are now equipped with the skills to provide specialised training for differently able students in the classroom. The teachers who are attached to schools throughout Region Six, successfully completed an 18-month Inclusion Professional Development Course. The teachers received their certification at a graduation exercise held at St Francis Community Developers auditorium on Tuesday. The Inclusion of the Professional Development Course (IPDC) is designed to enhance the teaching and management skills of teachers, allowing them to be able to cater for the diverse needs of students in the classroom. During the one- anda-half year programme, the teachers were exposed to professional methods aimed at providing a wider sphere for the application of inclusive learning in the theories of education and instructional techniques. While delivering the feature address, Senior Subject Specialist of the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), Savvie HopkinsonHamilton, noted that those in the education sector must embrace change in order to become credible change agents.
“Teachers are therefore in the forefront in the battle of change…” In stressing the need for special education in the classroom, she said students with special needs in the same class-
edly punished unjustly. In some communities they are isolated or ostracised, shut in homes and kept away from the education and socialisation process provided by the school setting.”
There is an urgent need, she said, for community action in order to bring about community intervention that can change attitudes and practices towards persons with physical disabilities.
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n the wake of much discussion about the declining standards at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC), its newly-appointed Director, Dr Subramaniam Gomathinayagam, said the institution is currently doing exceptionally well in terms of development in every area, including academics. Dr Gomathinayagam, also called Dr Gomes, an Indian national, was officially appointed on May 1. He told Berbice Times, in an interview, that prior to his appointment as Director, he had been working at UGBC since 2004 as a lecturer in the Division of Agriculture and his priority as the current Director is the continued upliftment of the standards of the facility. Asked about challenges faced during his tenure as acting and now confirmed Director of the tertiary institution, Dr Gomathinayagam said: “I have never faced any challenge here, everyone is cooperative with me. I have never faced any difficulty to collaborate with Turkeyen or my staff here… I have never faced any difficulty.” “It’s a rare privilege of being in the capacity of Director of the institution… I came in well-informed about the challenges that were on [the] ground and so my appointment to head the institution became an opportunity for me to be tested to overcome those challenges identified,” he said, while assuring that any future challenges could be addressed and resolutions found. Interestingly, the Director said his findings in the academic area are such that he can say without any fear of contradiction that they have very high-quality and intellectually qualified lecturers at the UGBC capable of delivering in their respective fields.
Public-private collaboration
Best graduating teacher Vijai Seecharran receives the award from NCERD Senior Subject Specialist, Savvie Hopkinson-Hamilton
room with others may help the others in their development of tolerance and respect for differences, while teaching empathy and consideration and at the same time, illustrating human kindness. Hopkinson-Hamilton re-emphasised the rights and obligations of persons with special needs to receive adequate education. “In too many of our communities, special need students are repeat-
The NCERD Senior Subject Specialist added that as a result of customs, cultures and stigmas traditionally attached to persons with disabilities, they are deprived of the opportunity to develop and grow as part of their communities. “These students need to be accounted for and interventions made, so that they can receive an education and eventually contribute to their community and country.”
The programme, which commenced in October 2012, was the second such programme to be conducted for teachers in Region Six. For the second batch, teachers were self-selected and 24 out of the initial 27 completed it. The first batch had a total of 30 teachers completing it out of 56 who were selected. The 54 teachers who have completed IPDC are now catalysts for change in schools in Region Six.
Dr Gomathinayagam, who did his Doctorate at the University of Madras in India in the field of soil pathology and soil microbiology, said his vision for UGBC is to work collaboratively with all stakeholders, including the public and private sectors and the community at large, to improve and develop the standard of the facility at all levels. He said notwithstanding the negative reports emanating from the media about the institution, he pledged to work assiduously with his staff and faculty members so that the UGBC can be on par with the Turkeyen Campus. “My main aim is to improve the standards here so it can be in line with the Turkeyen Campus and improve the image of UGBC,” he posited. He said he felt comfortable being the Director of the campus, as he alluded to the fact that the staff were being supportive and cooperating fully with him. He concluded by encouraging all Berbicians and more specifically the students that sat the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations to utilise the UGBC as they are privileged to have the facility and thus obtain a tertiary education. “I am happy to work as the Director of the campus and my staff is very cooperative and I like the Berbice community and people a lot,” he stated.
guyanatimesgy.com
MonDAY, june 30, 2014
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e are probably m o r e isolated than we think, lonely that is. But acknowledging our current situation, knowing that it is not the end of the world, is a good thing. Without any doubt though, we can make the best out of a bad situation by changing and adjusting the way we think about our isolation. Realising the fact that we cannot control what other people are doing Narine Dat Sookram to us is important; because this will help us control our reaction to the situation. Many people are involuntarily isolated from friends, family, community, and all forms of support. If you are one of those people, take some time to inquire and learn more about being a targeted individual. This can easily help us to move forward with our life, because remember, information itself is power. A lot of people have difficulties acknowledging the pain they feel associated with being isolated or lonely, but knowing that being determined to live our best
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Nurses and teachers were among those who received laptops
overnment’s One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Programme, which has enabled thousands of Guyanese to become computer literate, has resumed in Berbice much to the excitement and satisfaction of residents there. Approximately 584 lap-
geting various areas with scheduled dates; we have so far distributed over 3000 in Berbice and our mandate is to reach our required quota of approximately 90,000 families across the country,” she pointed out. She encouraged those who have not applied to do
sector as one for the future, Shaw opined that she believes that ICTs are the way to go in creating wealth for the future. Meanwhile, comments from some of the recipients of Government’s OLPF Programme varied. Some were delighted to have re-
lamented, expressing dissatisfaction that others who applied after she did managed to obtain theirs. Likewise, another resident in Rose Hall Town, Terey Rupan, disclosed that he too has experienced difficulty in obtaining his laptop applied for since early 2013.
Residents are instructed on how to use the laptops
tops were last Monday distributed to residents in Berbice, more specifically in the Palmyra, Seawell, Cumberland and Canefield, Canje areas. The distribution took place at the Cumberland Primary School and saw excited residents flocking to receive their equipment. In a invited comment, Archana Sawh, Supervisor of the OLPF programme, Office of the President, assured this publication that Government stands committed to carrying out its mandate ‛‛to develop the country’s ICT sector” by equipping each family with a netbook. “Distribution will be ongoing across the region from now until September, tar-
so as soon as possible and reiterated Government’s obligation to its people to ensure the distribution of 90,000 laptops to Guyanese. “Persons desirous of applying for a laptop can visit any of our offices… at New Amsterdam, Skeldon, our main office in Georgetown, fill out an application form and return to same venue,” she said. She said they have a process whereby verification officers then visit the homes to verify that the information received is accurate and based on that, the applicant signs another form; and as soon as the verification process has been cleared, the form is placed into the system and distribution commences. Describing the ICT
ceived their computers after the long delay and expressed gratitude to the Government for the initiative. Others complained that they had applied for their laptops since the programme came on stream and they were still awaiting their equipment. Lazeena Vaughn, a single parent employed as a cleaner at the Number Two Primary School , Canje , who hails from Susanna Village at Number 19 Village, told Berbice Times that she was fed up and frustrated since she had applied early in 2013 and was still to receive a computer. “Me apply how long and me still ah wait for the computer them promise me... like me go neva get am,” she
“All body around here get dem computer and abbie na get none… people who rich and can afford to buy get and we who depend on it na getting them, is de rich people getting,” he vented. The man, along with several others, disclosed that although verification officers came to his home and did the verification process, he was told that his name was not in the system and that was why he was not among those receiving their netbooks. The residents are calling on the relevant authority to look into this issue and resolve it as soon as possible. According to reports, the distribution of computers will continue next month at Port Mourant in Berbice.
possible life, no matter what, will take us a far way. Many times, we tend to demoralise the people that do good things for us. When we are isolated or lonely, it is crucial to express appreciation for people and the things we still have in our life. In other words, it is important to nurture those relationships with our friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, etc. Though we all go through challenges at different points in our lives, try your very best not to become depressed. Do not be afraid to enjoy the things around us. Take some time to get out into nature and discover something we always wanted to know more about. Engaging in activities that we like is important. It could be as simple as listening to music or going for a walk. And even if we have to do it alone as a first step, then that is okay too. The key is to do it and enjoy our life no matter what! This may be a challenge for some for a variety of reasons, but taking the time to communicate via social media, such as Facebook, etc is a good thing, especially for those who are not so mobile. For others, looking for a volunteer opportunity is a simple step we can take that can change our life forever. I can attest to this, because volunteering has been a huge part of my life. Can you imagine the amount of excitement you can add to your life just by lending your time and talent? The point though is to find a good fit, meaning try to engage in something that fits with your values, so we can enjoy what we do and at the same time, make a valuable contribution to a worthy cause. As human beings, I think that it is important to interact with other human beings. This can sometimes be difficult to do based on our own experiences, but I highly encourage everyone to continue to try and interact with other people even for a short time. For questions/comments/feedback, email them to mcnarine@rogers.com
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guyanatimesgy.com
MonDAY, june 30, 2014
Truth
Simply the
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ast week, a tornado touched down in North Ontario. It destroyed several houses and left families bereft. Private citizens and the Government of Ontario immediately gathered round and gave more relief supplies than was needed. The place was without electricity for almost three hours, we are told. Three hours of Professor Daizal Samad blackout after a tornado! The blackout made a bad situation much worse by making hardship more extreme. A price had to be paid. Someone had to be accountable for this since there should have been better preparedness. The head of the hydro (electricity) company was instantly fired. In these parts of the world, there is no monopoly – competition is fierce; dissatisfied customers means loss of business and loss of business means loss of money, and loss of money means loss of jobs, and this all means that the competitor for electrical services gets the business. But that is in these kinds of places. In other places like Guyana, we get a different kind of story. We seem to think that monopoly is good and competitiveness is a bad thing. We have one electricity company with proven incompetence. One university with proven incompetence. One telephone land-line company with a questionable record. The entire world is wrong, and we are right! Our citizens pay the price for this “wisdom”. We have gone on before about Region Five. Last Sunday, those non-citizens were cursed with blackout from 09:00h in the morning to 21:30h. Later that night, it was off again. Calls were made by rate-paying customers. The GPL people on the other end responded after many calls with this: “What you want we fuh do if you get blackout since maaanin?” Each and every day, there is a blackout in this region that has come to see itself as the forgotten region. Of course, no one has paid a price. No one is held accountable. And none of our leaders have expressed outrage or even mumbled disappointment. No one has been fired. We would feel so much better if the fellow who heads GPL would tell us something, anything. Like: “Hear nuh, people! We trying to improve services, so ayuh have some patience nuh!” Or, “Oh paying customers, we shall try to do better. We shall try to train our people better. Gee we some time nuh.” But to expect this type of stuff is to expect too much. Maybe some Minister of Government can have some kind of influence, if he or she could be bothered to be a little caring. Maybe even the President can listen to the panic of children in the dark. Maybe some miracle will happen and incompetence can be transformed into basic competence. Maybe someone can be decisive. Maybe someone can take responsibility, another miracle. I know for sure that if Berbicians signed a petition in their thousands and gave it to dem people who are meant to serve our interests, nothing will happen! We did this a few months ago about another pressing Berbice issue. Nothing happened. To be honest with people that read, I feel like a voice crying in the black wilderness. But we have to keep crying until someone hears the wailing.
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very day, thousands of people need blood transfusions and, by donating blood, you can help save a life and more importantly, it could very well be your loved ones,” blood donor recruiter in Berbice (Region Six), Candy Archer declared as she appealed to residents to come forward and be blood donors. She was at the time speaking to media operatives on the occasion of International Blood Donors’ Day on Saturday, June 14. On that particular day, the New Amsterdam blood bank received approximately 30 units of blood from donors in Berbice. Donating blood, Archer pointed out, is a simple, life-saving act and is not difficult or scary as it may seem. She assured that any healthy person could become a blood donor, regardless of race or gender. “Voluntarily donating this life-saving substance is very beneficial, because it helps to reduce the risk of heart attack, burns calories and prevents certain types of cancers among donors,” she noted, while explaining that persons who are 17 years and over, and who weigh a minimum of
110 pounds are eligible to donate; those below that age must have parental consent. Archer said that Guyana has come a far way in developing its health sector and appealed to the general public to play their part in advancing the country’s health-care system by becoming voluntary donors. Save lives “You could help save the life of a person in need of a blood transfusion; you will be helping to ensure that blood is there when you or someone close to you may need it. Most people don’t think they’ll ever need blood, but many do,” she opined. The blood collection target mandated by the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) for 2014 is said to be 1500 units. However, to date, only 500 units have been received from donors. The New Amsterdam blood bank, Archer advised, is open to the public from Monday to Friday. She reiterated her encouragement for persons to come forward and make their donations between the hours of 09:00h and 15:00h, thus assisting the blood bank to reach its tar-
get and being, at the same time, a Good Samaritan. Global Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14 as part of World Blood Donor Month (June) for the millions of people who voluntarily donate blood on a regular basis. The theme of this year’s World Blood Donor Day cam-
paign is “Safe blood for saving mothers”. World Blood Donor Month is held to appreciate those who already donate blood, to raise awareness about the need for healthy blood, and to encourage people to donate blood on a regular basis.
Region Six Blood Donor Recruiter Candy Archer monitors the blood donating process
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he 105-foot bridge under construction at Moleson Creek, Region Six should be completed by August 2014 and will facilitate a smoother flow of traffic, the Public Works Ministry Engineer overseeing the project, Sherod Parkinson, said. Ministry officials visited the site of the $60 million project on Monday to check on the progress of the works. According to Parkinson, the contractor, B & J Civil Works, has completed casting the supporting beams and columns, and is awaiting the importation of longitudinal beams to conclude the project. “We expect the beams to be here in another two weeks or so in Guyana. After that, the contractor just has to put the beams in place and cast the concrete deck,” the Ministry’s Engineer ex-
Men hard at work on the bridge which will be completed by August, according to estimates
plained. In the meantime, vehicles and motorists can access the area via a bypass. The bridge is approximately two miles from the Moleson Creek Ferry Stelling
where a ferry plies the Guyana/Suriname route – a heavily trafficked area. Parkinson further disclosed that rehabilitation of the other bridge in Moleson Creek will commence in 2015.
Over the past 12 months, the Ministry, through its bridges’ programme, has built several major bridges including one at Ogle, Eastern Highway (Sophia), and Hampton Court.